Drag bucket



Sept. 25, 1934. w. LEHMAN I 1,974,425

DRAG BUCKET Filed June 6. 1932 'Wemer Zlefiman,

mmvroa ATTORNEY-Sr Patented Sept. 25, 1934 DEA-G BUCKET Werner Lehman, South Milwaukee, Wis, assignor to Bucyrus-Erie Company, South Milwaukee, Wis., a corporationof Delaware 1 Application June 6, 1932, Serial No. 615,534

18 Claims. (01. 37-435 I iMy invention relates to new and useful im-- provements in means for attaching the drag-. chains-to the drag buckets of dragline excavators. Such buckets are wellknown in the art, one being shown complete inimy copending application,- Serial No. 616,209'filed June 9, 1932. In such buckets it is customary to attach a drag-chain to the front edge of each side of the bucket, above and forward of the cutting edge; and in order to obtain the proper inclination of the cutting edge for digging in various types of material, it is customary to have the attaching means shif-table to'twoalternative points of attachment.

This might 'passably be'accornplished by securing the two feet of a U-shaped clevis, by means of transverse'bolts, to two plates (one inside and one out) projecting forwardly from the'front edge'of the bucket. I p Y But I have fou-nd that this construction entails twoidifliculties: In the first place, the hammer back-and-forth' of the clevis against its'two re: tainirlg'boltscauses wear and loosening on these bolts; and wear on the two plates. And, inthe second place, there is great wear on the upper and lower front corners of the two plates. As the two plates are-much more expensive than the clevis and bolts; and, because of their quasi-permanent attachment to the bucket itself, are much more difficult to replace; they should, if possible, be protected against such wear. 7 1 Accordingly it is "the principal object of the present invention to provide such means for attaching the drag" chains to drag buckets, as will eliminate the most of such wear.

addition to my principal object, I have worked out a number of novel and useful details, which will be readily evident as the description progressest My invention consistsin thenovel parts, and in -,the combinations and arrangements thereof, which are definedin the appended claims; and ofv which one. embodiment is exemplified in thev accompanying drawing, which is hereinafter par--. ticularly describedandexplained. Throughout the description, the same reference number .isfiapplied to the same member orto similar-:members.-

Figure :1- is, the side elevation of my invention assembled... Figure 2'is the :side elevation of one of the plates: of myinvention, takenalong the. line 2. 2 oiyFigursB.) l. '1 ,;1-.Figure 3'is-1the, ottom- (i. e. edge) view of that plate,.-taken'along the1line 3'-3 of Figure .2.

. Figure 4 is the topview of the clevis of my invention, taken along the line 44 of Figure 5.

Figure 5 is the side elevation of that clevis, taken along the line 5-5 of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is the rear view of .that clevis. Figure 7 is a section of the filler of my inventime, taken along the line 7-7 of Figure 8.

' Figure 8 is theside elevation of that filler.

Referring to'the drawing, it will be seen that 11 is the frontlowerportion of the left hand side of the casting forming the main body of a drag bucket. 12 is the outside one of a pair of iden tical .clevis plates, having three bolt holes 13, 14, 15,. and four rivet holes 16. This plate, and another. identical to it, and occupying a similar position just within the wall of the bucket to that occupied by plate 12 just without the wall; are secured to the wall by rivets 17.

18 is'my clevis. It has a chain attaching portion 19,.two bolt holes 20, two sidewardly projecting guards '21, and'tvvo abutments 22. The purpose and importance of the abutments and guards willbediscussed later herein.

23 is my filler. It has two sidewardly project ing guards 24, abolt hole 25, and two portions 26, either of which can serve as an abutment.

Bolts 27 removably secure my clevis 18 and filler 23 to'the plates 12. I

When assembled, as in Figure 1, the abutments 22 of my clevis 18 abut against the front edge of the wall 11 of the bucket, thus assuring that the bolts 27' will be subjected only to pull and never to push. Guards 21 on my clevis 18, and guards 24 on my filler 23, are seen to protect the upper and lower corners 28 of my plates 12 from bump ing and wear. 2

If I wish to increase the bite of the teeth of the bucket, I turn my clevis other-side-up, and secure it to ho1es13 and 14; and secure my filler 23 to holes 15. The protection against thrust of the clevis, and against wear on the exposed corners of theplates, remains the same as'before.

The construction on the other front side edge of the bucket is the same. I.

If -desire'd, the chain 'attaching-portion 19 of each clevis maybe built withan inward bend,

. ice. upward in Figure 4 for theleft hand clevis,

anddownwardfor the right-hand clevis, so that these chain-attaching portions of thetwo clevises will lie in the'line of the convergingdrag chains. 0 If this be done, then when the clevises are turned other-side-up and secured to'v holes 13 and 14, the two. clevises' will also" have to interchange sides of the bucket. 1 I

clfiavingnow described and illustrated one form 1 1' of my invention, I wish it to be understood that my invention is not to be limited to the specific form or arrangement of parts hereinbefore described, except in so far as such limitations are specified in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a drag-chain attachment for ,a drag bucket, the combination of: two plates adapted to be secured respectively to the inner and the outer faces of the front of the side of the bucket, and to project forwardly beyond the front edge of the side of the bucket, and having at least three holes in the projecting part; a chain-attaching clevis, having abutments to bear against the front edge of the side of the bucket, holes for bolting to the plates, and sidewardly projecting guards to protect the corners of the plates; a filler, having a hole for bolting to the plates, and sidewardly projecting guards to protect the corners of the plates; and means for attaching the clevis and the filler to the plates; the clevis being reversible and thus adapted to be secured either to the top or the bottom holes of the plates; and the filler being adapted to be secured to one of the remaining holes of the plates.

2. In a drag-chain attachment for a drag bucket, the combination of: two plates adapted to be secured respectively to the inner and the outer faces of the front of the side of the bucket, and to project forwardly beyond the front edge of the side of the bucket, and having at least three holes in the projecting part; a chain-attaching clevis having means for attachment to the plates, and sidewardly projecting guards to protect the corners of the plates; a filler, having means for attachment to the plates; and sidewardly projecting guards to protect the corners of the plates; the clevis being reversible and thus adapted to be secured either to the top or the bottom holes of the plates; and the filler being adapted to be secured to one of the remaining holes of the plates.

3. In a drag-chain attachment for a drag bucket, the combination of two plates adapted to be secured respectively to the inner and the outer faces of the front of the. side of the bucket, and to project forwardly beyond the, front edge of the side of the bucket, and having at least three holes in the projecting part; a chain-attaching clevis, having abutments to bear against the front edge of the side of the bucket, holes for bolting to the plates, and sidewardly projecting guards to protect the corners of the plates; a filler, having a hole for bolting to the plates, and sidewardly projecting guards to protect the corners of the plates; and means for attaching the clevis and the filler to the plates.

4. In a drag-chain attachment for a drag bucket, the combination of: two plates adapted to be secured respectively to the inner and the outer faces of the front of the side of the bucket, and to project forwardly beyond the front edge of the side of the bucket, and having holes in the projecting part; a chain-attaching clevis, having abutments to bear against the front edge of the side of the bucket, holes for bolting to the plates, and sidewardly projecting guards to protect the corners of the plates; and means for attaching the clevis to the plates.

5. In a drag-chain attachment for a drag bucket, the combination of two plates adapted to be secured respectively to the inner and the outer faces of the front of the side of the bucket, and to project forwardly beyond the front edge of the side of the bucket, and having holes in the projecting part; a chain-attaching clevis, having abutments so proportioned and positioned that, in the normal assembled location of the clevis, they will constantly bear against the front edge of the side of the bucket, and holes for bolting to the plates; and means for attaching the clevis tothe plates.

6. In a drag-bucket drag-chain-attaching assembly, the combination of: the bucket proper; two plates adapted to be secured respectively to the inner and the outer faces of the front of the side of the bucket proper, and to project forwardly beyond the front edge of the side of the bucket proper, and having three holes in the projecting part; a chain-attaching clevis, having means for attachment to the plates, and abutments to bear against the bucket proper or plates, and thus relieve the attaching means from thrust, and sidewardly projecting guards to protect the corners of the plates; and a filler, having means for attachment to the plates, and sidewardly projecting guards to protect the corners of the plates; the clevis being reversible and thus adapted to be secured either to the top or the bottom holes of the plates; and the filler being adapted to be secured to some of the remaining holes of the plates.

7. In a drag-chain attachment for a drag bucket, the combination of two plates adapted to be secured respectively to the inner and the outer faces of the front of the side of the bucket,; and to project forwardly beyond the front edge.

of the side of the bucket, and having holes in the projecting part; and a chain-attaching clevis, having means for attachment to the plates, and sidewardly projecting guards to protect the corners of the plates.

8. In a drag-bucket drag-chain-attaching as sembly, the combination of the bucket proper; two plates adapted to be secured respectivelyto the inner and the outer faces of the frontof the side of the bucket, and to project forwardly beyond the front edge of the side of the bucket, and having three holes in the projecting part; a chainattaching clevis, having means for attachment to the plates, and abutments to bear against the bucket proper or plates, and thus relieve the attaching means from thrust, and sidewardly projecting guards to protect the corners of the plates; and a filler, having means for attachment to the plates, and sidewardly projecting guards to protect the corners of the plates.

9. In a drag-bucket drag-chain-attaching as sembly, the combination of the bucket proper; two plates adapted to be secured respectively to the inner and the outer faces of the front of the side of the bucket, and to project forwardly beyond the front edge of the side of the bucket, and having holes in the projecting part; and a chain-attaching clevis, having means for attachment to the plates, and abutments to bear against the bucket proper or plates, and thus relievethe attaching means from thrust, and sidewardly projecting guards to protect the corners of the plates. 'v

10. In a drag-bucket drag-chain-attaching assembly, the combination of: the bucket proper; two plates adapted to be secured respectively to the inner and the outer faces of the front of the side of the bucket, and to project forwardly beyond the front edge of the side of the bucket, and having holes in the projecting part; and a chainattaching clevis,.having means for attachment to the plates, and abutments to bear against the,

bucket proper or plates, and thus relieve the attaching means from thrust.

11. In a drag-chain clevis for use in a dragbucket drag-chain-attaching assembly, in which the drag-bucket comprises the bucket proper and two pairs of forwardly projecting chain-attaching plates, the combination of a chain-attaching portion; portions for the reception of means for attachment to the bucket; abutments to bear against the bucket, and thus prevent thrust against the attaching means; and sidewardly projecting guards, to protect the plates against wear; the clevis being open to admit the coopcrating chain to the chain-attaching portion.

12. In a drag-chain clevis for use in a dragbucket drag-chain-attaching assembly, in which the drag-bucket comprises the bucket proper and two pairs of forwardly projecting chain-attaching plates, the combination of a chain-attaching portion; portions for the reception of means for attachment to the bucket; abutments to bear against the bucket, and thus prevent thrust against the attaching means; and sidewardly projecting guards, to protect the plates against wear.

13. In a drag-chain clevis for use in a dragbucket drag-chain-attaching assembly, in which the drag-bucket comprises the bucket proper and two pairs of forwardly projecting chain-attaching plates, the combination of: a chain-attaching portion; portions for the reception of means for attachment to the bucket; and abutments so proportioned and positioned that, in the normal assembled location of the clevis, they will constantly bear against the bucket, and thus prevent thrust against the attaching means.

14. In a drag-chain clevis for use in a dragbucket drag-chain-attaching assembly, in which the drag-bucket comprises the bucket proper and two pairs of forwardly projecting chain-attaching plates, the combination of: a chain-attaching portion; portions for the reception of means for attachment to the bucket; and sidewardly projecting guards, to protect the plates against wear.

15. In a filler for use'in a drag-bucket dragchain-attaching assembly, in which the drag bucket comprises the bucket proper and two pairs of forwardly projecting chain-attaching plates, the combination of a portion for the reception of means for attachment to the bucket; an abutment to bear against the bucket and thus prevent thrust against the attaching means; and sidewardly projecting guards, to protect the plates against wear.

16. In a filler for use in a drag-bucket dragchain-attaching assembly, in which the drag bucket comprises the bucket proper and two pairs of forwardly projecting chain-attaching plates, the combination of a portion for the reception of means for attachment to the bucket; and sidewardly projecting guards, to protect the plates against wear.

1'7. In a filler for use in a drag-bucket dragchain-attaching assembly, in which the drag bucket comprises the bucket proper and two pairs of forwardly projecting chain-attaching plates, the combination of a portion for the reception of means for attachment to the bucket; and an abutment so proportioned and positioned that, in the normal assembled location of the filler, it will constantly bear against the bucket, and thus prevent thrust against the attaching means.

18. In a filler for use in a drag-bucket dragchain-attaching assembly, in which the drag bucket comprises the bucket proper and two pairs of forwardly projecting chain-attaching plates, the combination of: a portion for the reception of means for attachment to the bucket; abutments to bear selectively against the bucket, and thus prevent thrust against the attaching means; and sidewardly projecting guards, to protect the plates against wear, the filler being selectively positionable, so that either one of the abutments can be used, and yet the guards will still perform their functions.

- WERNER LEHMAN; 

